Never Forget A Friend
by Dimpled
Summary: Sequel to Behind the Curtain. After Elphaba's death, Glinda seeks help. She soon finds out that her therapist may know some well-hidden secrets about Elphaba's life. Meanwhile, Morrible takes refuge in the Emerald City, preparing a war that may end Oz as we know it. what is the true story?
1. Chapter 1

_**So begins the sequel to Behind The Curtain…I thought the last story was stupid but others told me it was great (life is full of surprises!) and I was bored anyways, so yeah. Happy birthday to my little brother John, who just turned 11! YAY!**_

Glinda never forgot Elphaba. If she tried, it wouldn't have worked anyways. Every night, Elphaba returned in her dreams, slipping farther away…into darkness…gone. Then when the world crumpled, Glinda sat up in bed, screaming and sweating.

As usual, her mother wasn't helpful. She rejoyced in the fact that Elphaba was gone. Glinda finally didn't come down to answer the door when her mother arrived, reminded of the rude words she endured every week.

Glinda wouldn't eat or drink and when she could help it, sleep. She didn't go and visit the munchkins who adored her so, even after they were alarmed and thought her to be sick, which resulted in many get well cards. She didn't leave her castle, day and night.

She drank heavily until she vomited and fell asleep again, having nightmares of her friend being away.

Then she resorted to thinking about every wrong thing she did. She'd been jealous of Elphaba and Fiyero. Glinda had many boyfriends before him, what was it to be jealous? Elphie never had anybody, nobody to love her in that way. Let them be. She thought about the mean things she'd said to her. She'd called her artichoke and broccoli and other things. Why? Elphaba had done nothing, never anything to Glinda. And she'd never done anything back.

Glinda decided to go into therapy, since she found she could bottle her feelings no longer.

She sat down on the blue couch opposite from Dr. Moroson. He was a handsome duck of many colors. Adjusting his glasses up his bill, He asked Glinda what was wrong.

"My friend died last week." Glinda already felt relieved to talk to someone about this.

"Well, first look on the bright side. Do you think your friend would be happy with the witch's death?"

Glinda winced. "I um, I don't know."

"Did you by any chance go to school with this person?"

"Yes, sir. She was my roomate. Sometimes we would go to History class together."

"What school did you go to?" the duck asked, jotting notes down.

"Shiz University."

The duck suddenley stopped, looking up at her.

"I was a good friend of Doctor Dillamond's. what did you say your name was again, dear?"

"Glinda Upland." Glinda wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to recognize something.

"Doctor Dillamond spoke often about you, miss Glinda. You were often mean to that girl with green skin. Poor girl."

"That's my friend!" Glinda exclaimed before she could stop herself. "she became my friend! She's dead and I'm all alone with nobody to talk to!"

"Don't worry, miss Glinda." The duck smiled. "your secret is safe with me."

_**Sorry this was short. I have to go soon. But if you like this, tell me!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'm really sorry for such a short chapter last time. I had somewhere to go. **_

Dr. Moroson poured Glinda tea and sat across from her.

"Doctor," Glinda began hesitantly, "could you tell me anything about Elphaba before I knew her?"

"That I can do," the duck laughed. "I was good friends with her father. Oh, those days…"

Glinda fixed her eyes on the ground and visualized the story as it was told.

Another day at Shiz, Frexspar Thropp walking with Daniel Dillamond and Gregory Moroson. They met up at a locker in the hall. Frex looked very worried about something.

"What if she says no?" he said worriedly, popping several mints into his mouth.

"She won't," Moroson assured him. "Melena's too nice. She's my partner in chemistry."

"Just play cool," Dillamond put in. "she'll be coming any minute."

"Right," Frex said, but he still looked worried, "and then…"

"You ask her." Moroson finished.

Little did they know that on the other side of school, a group of girls were on the same subject. They started down the hall in their little posse of three, giggling and talking. However, one girl asked a question that annoyed her friend.

"Is he going to ask you?" Mesh asked. The girl with brown waves suddered.

"Probably," Melena rolled her eyes. "he's so annoying. But my parents love him, which is the problem. If Frex asks me out, then they'll support it."

"How bad can it be?" Tfane patted Melena's back. "I heard Frex is rich."

Melena looked insulted. "So am I," she said. "what of it?"

She looked back and forth at her friend's blank faces.

"Girls, I'm marrying for love, not money." Melena reasoned with them. She suddenly stopped, nearly tripping over her high heels.

"Oh, no!" she groaned.

"What?" her friends asked. But they found out exactly what in the next second.

Three boys, one goat, a boy, and a duck leaned on Melena's locker.

"Nice," Mesh laughed. "go over and yell at them, Mel."

"No!" Melena snapped. "they'll think I'm flirting."

"I'll say something," Tfane said. She flounced forward, her red curls bouncing.

"Alright, guys," she said to the three boys. She pointed a pale long finger around them.

"Away from Mel's locker!"

"We need to ask her something," Frex stammered. His hands were shaking. Melena was close, so close…a couple feet away from him, looking at him.

Tfane turned and addressed her friend. "He wants to ask you something." She stated.

The three boys moved away from the locker as Melena came towards it to claim her things.

"Yes?" she asked, turning the dial on her locker and trying to tune Frex's words out. But somehow they sqeezed through her ears and poisoned her heart, filling her with anguish.

"Do you w-want to go out w-with me?" Frex blurted. He turned a dark crimson, then a purple and then absolutely pale. His voice was stammery, his eyes downcast.

Melena continued to run the dial and she opened her locker, as if Frex had commented about the weather.

She took her new things out and closed her locker. Sooner or later, she would have to meet his eyes, and give him her answer. She took a deep breath.

She knew the _right _thing to do of course, but was it the _smart _thing? She knew in every way that she could end up with this boy, whether she liked it or not. And Frexspar Thropp was—well, a _nice _boy, but he wasn't _her _boy. She guessed she could go, but after one date, what would her parents say?

She knew exactly.

_Melena, isn't he charming? I think one more date is in the question!_

_Melena, I think you two would go to the fair together!_

_Look at our daughter, she's with Frexspar, like we always wanted her to be!_

Ugh. Never. Never. She couldn't. but her family…

The last thing she wanted to be was a disgrace.

She looked at Frex's green eyes and sighed.

"Fine, Thropp." She said. She hadn't meant to make it come out snappish.

Frex looked up at her with so much emotion, Melena almost said, "Awww!" out loud.

She smiled half-heartedly.

"I have to go to class. When and where are we going?"

"Um, I haven't thought of that yet," Frex blushed and looked at his friends for help.

"How about that resturant across here?" Moroson suggested. "_The Emerald Diner_?"

"Fine with me," Melena said. "what time, Frexspar?"

"Uh…seven?" he said quietly.

"Okay. See you tonight." Melena turned and walked away, using all her power to keep from running. _Stupid boy, didn't even know where! Oh, WHY did I say yes?_

Tfane and Mesh came behind her giggling about his mix matched socks and Dillamond's crumply hair.

"She was so miserable, I could tell." Moroson continued his story.

Glinda nodded. "I feel sort of bad for her. How did you know her parents wanted him, anyway?"

"Oh, it came around. He always told me how they invited him in when Melena was around, and had him eat with them, and other such things."

"And Frex and Melena got married?"

"Yes, my dear, that's a very long story, and we don't have time." The duck replied. "I'll tell you more tomorrow."

Glinda got up and before she knew what she was doing, she hugged him.

"Thank you, Dr. Moroson." She whispered.

He chuckled. "Your very welcome."

Glinda left that day with many questions swarming in her head that she didn't think to ask.

All throughout her getting ready for bed, she thought of all her friend didn't tell her, or what her friend didn't—and never would—know.

Then she fell into sleep again, and found her nightmares had subsided.


	3. Chapter 3

Meeting Dr. Moroson was one of the few things Glinda got to look forward to everyday. The others were that she got to spend whole days to herself. Her mother had finally stopped coming to her castle for visits. And when she returned to the munchkins, she was very happy to see that they were happy, since they thought her to be dead.

Upon arriving at Dr. Moroson's office that day, Glinda thought of what he would say about the Thropp marriage.

He sat her down and she reminded him of what he told her yesterday, and the story began.

Frex waited for Melena to walk down the aisle. He barely noticed the bridemaids elegantly coming down the aisle in dreses of pink silk. Then Breight, Melena's collage friend Tfane's daughter, came down the aisle as a flower girl. Mesh came down as the maid of honor, and Frex took time to adjust his tie.

Then down she came.

Melena came down the aisle looking stunning in a cropped bridal gown with diamonds embroidered in the bodice. A lace trim was at the sleeves and the bottom of her gown.

It had a long train, and her veil was behind a beautiful silver crown. It flew like a ghost behind her. Although she was beautiful, her eyes didn't show excitement. In fact they looked a little sad to be here. Could this mean she didn't love him? No, that wasn't it.

Just wedding nerves, that was it. He asked her in front of her family, so they could be surprised too, and she'd said yes. She loved him. Right?

She took his hand and the wedding began.

All throughout the vows and the preacher talking, Melena didn't listen.

She stole glances at the crowds, to see who her family invited.

Her was Pernelli, Juansworth, Hanx, all of her friends from school, her nanny, her parents, cousins, and people from Frex's church, neighbors and local heros and…

That one man who was rather attractive…

"Melena?"

Melena quickly turned to face the preacher.

"I'm sorry, yes?" she said politely. The church laughed.

"Do you take Frexspar Thropp, to be your lawfully wedded husband, now and forever, til death do you part?"

"I do."

She didn't.

"But Dr. Moroson," Glinda interrupted the story, "excuse me, but if she didn't why couldn't she stand up to her family? Why didn't she tell them she didn't love him?"

"Her family took marriage matters quite seriously in those days, my dear. My guess is that her mother and her mother and her mother were in semi-forced marriages, too. They learned from the family."

"Oh." Glinda looked down. "that's pretty awful, if you think about it."

"It is," Moroson agreed. "shall I continue?"

Glinda nodded. "I know what happened after that. Melena cheated on Frex."

"It was expected."

Glinda nodded sadly. "I guess so."

"Now you remember what she did, and it was wrong. Now she would be punished. Oh, yes, it was horrible. Her baby, what she and that man created, what she thought would be the amazing talk of all Oz—"

"And it was." Glinda put in, smiling.

"—Would be thought to be the worst thing ever. And my dear Glinda, it was…"

Dr. Moroson's wise eyes looked at her sadly. "There was something wrong with Elphaba."

The way Dr. Moroson said it frightened Glinda. What? Wasn't her friend…her friend? Just Elphie? That studying, hard-working, sweet, misunderstood green beauty? Nothing was ever wrong with her. She was usually negative about things, yes, but…there certainly wasn't anything _wrong_ with her, right?

Screaming filled the hallways of the Thropp home.

Elphaba's chubby little legs ran her down the steps and into the kitchen.

"Elphaba Melena Thropp, you clean up the mess you made right NOW!" rang a cold, severe voice after her. Melena appeared as Elphaba ran behind Nanny's legs.

"Melena, dear, why don't you go pamper yourself while I—" Nanny began sweetly.

"No! she—needs—to—learn—" Melena came behind Nanny too and scooped her green three year old up.

"I found out I was three weeks pregnant today!" Melena spat as Elphaba wiggled in her arms. "and I beg the Unamed god the child won't be like you!"

Elphaba opened her mouth and bit down hard on her mom's arm, using all four of her shark-like teeth.

Blood soaked Melena's sleeve as she screamed in pain and dropped her child.

Elphaba fell on her bottom, but didn't appear to be hurt. She picked herself up, cackling and running up into her room. She locked the door.

She calmly picked up her favorite picture book. It was full of all the places you could go in Oz. her favorite page featured the Emerald City, with it's glittering green castle and the people who dressed up like dolls. There were horses of many colors, and you got free green goggles at the gate.

There were shops and houses, toy stores and a pretty café where you could buy coffee and an iced green cookie.

That was Elphaba's favorite sight in the world.

She practiced what she'd been able to do earlier, she stepped back and held her arms out. And the book lifted itself up.

Elphaba watched it, focusing. She widened her eyes and the book got bigger and bigger. Taking a tiny index finger she pointed at the book with one hand, while the other she kept up.

She quietly said, "go" to herself and she walked into the page.

And there she was. Everything how she wanted it to be. She was inside the book.

Even though it wasn't the real Emerald City, Elphaba still liked to walk the green marble streets. She liked that funny man who always tipped his hat to her. There was also a green volt door that she couldn't open, but she liked to look at it for long periods of time and wonder what was behind it.

Suddenly she was jerked from her imaginary paradise, lifter into the air and being yelled at by her father, back in her room.

Melena stood in the doorway, arms crossed and a triumphant look on her face.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I don't like it when I up." She tried to explain. She hated that her father held her up by her dress, it hurt her.

"Maybe you should have thought of this before," her father said sourly.

He put her down and pushed her until she was in front of her mother, and waited.

"Well? Say you're sorry!" he snapped.

Elphaba looked down. "I don't want to."

"Say you're sorry, or you won't get any food for a week." He laughed evilly. "maybe you'll even die."

"Frexspar!" Nanny warned.

"Say you're sorry to me, Nanny, and Daddy, Elphaba." Melena said rudely.

"I won't!" Elphaba stomped her foot.

"Is that so?" Frex said, very mad. He took Elphaba's favorite book and threw it into the lit fireplace.

Elphaba screamed and ran over, taking it out.

Melena saw that Elphaba's tiny hands went into the flames, but her daughter wasn't screaming. She saw that the book was burnt in the fire, but when Elphaba brought it out it was as good as new.

"What in the name—?" Melena gasped, clutching her hair.

Elphaba giggled and held out her hands, and the book floated in front of her.

All three adults yelped.

"How is she—?" Nanny shrieked, but Frex shook his head.

"Leave the room, ladies," Frex said. "There's sometinhg wrong with her."

"Okay, that's NOT what happened!" Glinda said, crossing her arms.

"Frex wrote to me the very next day." Dr. Moroson nodded.

"Three year olds don't preform magic!" Glinda retorted.

"It wasn't magic, Miss Glinda," Dr. Moroson said. "it was _power_."

Glinda uncrossed her arms and sat up, looking at him intently. "power?"

"That three year old was powerful from birth. Haven't you ever noticed what Miss Elphaba had done at your school?"

Glinda shook her head.

"I shall refresh your memory. Wheelchairs coming to her from a distance, students moving uncontrollably, that one day in chemistry where that boy made fun of her and frogs where dumped all over him from nowhere?"

Glinda stared at him. He was right.

"Oz! to think she wasn't _not _normal!" she exclaimed. "she was…different, but her power—"

"It's an odd thing, to be born green," the doctor said quietly. "it's even odder to to be born with power that comes naturally, for without her power…"

he paused. "she wouldn't have anything to run from."

"She ran from her own power?" Glinda said.

"She ran fro a problem. Running was her main defense. She didn't want problems for anybody."

Glinda thanked him and left.

On her way up to her castle, she realized something that made her stop. _She didn't want probems for anybody._

When she was young, she'd run from her parents. In school, with that lion cub, she ran so she wouldn't face the students later. With the wizard, she'd ran away so she wouldn't be caught. When Glinda found them Elphaba ran away with Fiyero so she wouldn't have to be captured.

So that must mean…

When she died, _if she died_, she would have ran away, not died.

So if her friend was alive….


	4. Chapter 4

Glinda tossed and turned in bed that night. How could Elphaba not tell her anything? She wasn't one to cry over things that weren't told to her, her parents had kept things all her life. It was just for her protection, like the way they don't tell you where babies come from until your old enough.

But this…this was different. Elphaba wasn't her mother (oh, thank Oz!) or her father, she was her friend. Her very best friend. But like all families and friends, she had her secrets.

So why this bothered Glinda was odd. If her friend was alive, why didn't she tell her? Why couldn't she just send her a letter or come find her?

But maybe she was dead. Argh, this was so confusifying! Everything seemed to twist and turn. She needed to speak to her therapist about this. They hadn't even begun to help Glinda feel better, she just listened to stories that didn't sound true, but…

She took of for the third time, landing early in the town. It wasn't long before she smelled something burning.

It took her three seconds to realize the horror.

One second. Glinda smelled something and looked up.

Two seconds. Glinda sees two men.

The third second. The last second. Where everything changed.

Dr. Moroson lay unconcious on a stretcher, with the two men she saw pulling him away from the office that was on fire. The entire wall falls on them.

Glinda runs into the fire and into the room that had always been save, trying despretley to save important things. Fire spills in through the open door, as Glinda dives out of it's way. She tries to form a bubble to protect her, but it evaporates too fast.

She opens drawers and finds a box that says "_frexspar, 1930_"

She grabs it and tries to run, but her dress snags on a piece of jagged wood on the floor.

"Miss Upland! Get out of there!" she hears. The letters fall out of her arms as she tries to free her dress.

One half of a letter goes up into flames. Glinda yelps and grabs them, burning her hand.

They drop through a crack in the floor.

She groans and tries to free herself still, screaming as her dress goes up in flames, too. It's burning her leg.

Oh, it feels like a white-hot whip. She pats it, calling desperatley for help.

No one comes yet.

She pulls and pulls, but he dress says put.

The smoke begins to rise…

The firemen finally get in as Glinda's hair catches fire too, and they pull her out. She watches the letters under the floor board as they dissapear behind the thick smoke.

Glinda can't breathe. She's gasping. It hurts to breathe.

They get her outside into the cool night air, before she remembers one thing.

She left her wand inside.

She blacks out.


	5. Chapter 5

It was seven years later. Madame Morrible had signed the last paper. This was it.

The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz was gone, and so was that pathetic little Barbie, Glinda. Morrible officially ruled Oz and everyone in it. They had let her out of jail, due to her good behavior.

She sighed happily as she settled in her large velvet chair. She recently had decided to fight all who opposed her in a war. She laughed out loud. Oh, let them come. Let them die. They wouldn't make it three steps.

It was just easier, after all, to have them die fighting her. It would prove to all hesitant citizens how brave and strong she was.

She'd heard the story of Glinda. Seven years ago, she was burned in a fire and lost her wand. She recovered and hadn't been heard of since. Larena had disowned her, saying her formally known daughter hadn't been brave enough for her taste. She had become Morrible's assistant.

But what Morrible was most proud of was that she'd mutated animals. Oh, yes, that story of the death of Dr. Moroson was quite tragic. Or the story of how Kiamo Ko was burnt down, and the Animals in it went missing.

It was Morrible who had done all this. The Animals were in a trance, their eyes glowing red, unaware of all the training they'd been doing. They were training to be Morrible's soldiers. Every Animal, every male, female, and child, even the babies, were told to fight, no questions asked.

And what was it to Morrible, really? What was it to her that over a thousand Animals would die? Nobody would stop her. Glinda was gone, Moroson was dead, Elphaba was missing, (Morrible just knew she wouldn't be dead.) Fiyero was going to be dead, soon anyways, she'd sent a bull out to kill him, and..his son. The strong boy. Now that Liir was seventeen, he'd be strong in helping her. She'd sent someone out to bring him to her.

Everything was well.

Someone knocked on the door. Morrible smiled and let him in.

The news reporter, a tall, lean older cat with a graying coat of black hair, stumbled coming in and kissed Morrible's hand.

He sat down next to her.

"Excuse me ma'am, but a few words?"

"Of course!" Morrible beamed. She opened her drawer. "just let me get my paper and my quill…"

she pulled out a piece of paper and fingered the knife inside the drawer.

"Now then," the cat said, "why do you think you'll make a good leader?"

"I will give everybody everything they want and need. They will be so happy when I tell them that Oz will be a better place…"

she secretly pulled the knife from her drawer as the cat wrote everything down, and she brought out a vile from her pocket and dipped the tip of the blade into it. The honey-gold sudstance simmered.

"All right, then. Next question."

Morrible looked up at the cat innocently, and brought the knife to a closer range.

"Why do you think—?"

Morrible plunged the knife into his heart.

Blood spilled on the carpet, and the cat fell to the floor, dead.

Morrible took out her wand calmly, and waved it over his chest.

"Have you ever heard 'Curiousity Killed The Cat?'" she taunted.

The open wound closed, and the cat's eyes opened. They were red.

He sat up, expressionless.

"I need you to fight for me in a battle." Said Morrible.

"Your wish is my command." The cat replied. It sounded robotic.

"Get me my favorite prisoner." Morrible cackled.

The cat nodded and turned out of the room.

Morrible grinned and examined the blade, then started to clean it.

Recently, she'd created a potion that brought power. She injected it into Animal's hearts, and they did as she pleased.

Sure, it was a messy job. But it was all worth it.

The cat brought in a large black bag that wiggled.

"Let…me…go!" said the voice inside it.

Morrible got up and kicked it hard. The figure inside it cried.

"Shut up and listen, Eldora."


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm a loser, I know. I havent seen RENT. What's it about? Can someone PM me?**_

_**Thank you, everyone, who has taken the time to read this story, to those who reviewed and who didn't, to those who like this story…even the ones who don't…thank you all!**_

Eldora had been in captivity for seven years. _Seven years._Elphaba would have scratched Morrible's eyes out, if she was here.

It was the same question for Glinda, Eldora, and Morrible: where was she?

And Eldora thought of the last time she'd seen her father, before she'd fallen into the river and the alligators took her to Morrible's palace for bait…why hadn't Elphaba come? Eldora, even when she was six years old, seven years ago, wasn't afraid.

Her mother surely must've come.

But she didn't.

Morrible seemed to have read her thoughts.

"You've been here for a while," she smiled. "where's your family?"

Eldora didn't answer at first, she just stared at the ground.

"Answer me." Morrible ordered.

Eldora mumbled something.

"Couldn't hear you, dear." Morrible grabbed Eldora's hair roughly.

"I said, 'I don't know,' all right?" Eldora snapped. "how am I to know?"

Morrible looked as if she were sucking a lemon. "blech! Teenagers. Just like your mother. The same in behavior, the same in tone…" she paused, jerking Eldora's face up to look at her. "the same in looks…"

She let Eldora go and paced around the room.

"I know where your mother is, Eldora…" Morrible said.

Eldora looked up surprisingly. "where?"

"Dead." Morrible said, a sweet smile on her face. "she died…let's see…shortly after you went missing. Do you know why?"

Eldora wanted to kill Morrible for smiling, but she knew better than to mess with her.

"No."

"She couldn't stand you."

"LIAR!"

"Oh, but sweetheart, it's true," Morrible continued with the same smile as she opened the window to let air in. Ah, she'd have to tax all of the Ozians to get more money for air conditioning…it was too hot in here…

"She personally wrote to me, asking for your death."

"A likely story." Eldora scoffed.

"Well, darling, you'd be surprised," Morrible stepped behind her desk, fingering the knife and the vile.

"You don't _understand_, do you?"

Eldora rolled her eyes.

"I kept you alive. I cared for you." Morrible said sternly.

"You kidnapped me!"

"I kept you alive!" Morrible said loudly. She calmed herself down. "now I would appriciate…" she said, getting out the knife and dipping it in the potion… "…if you joined me."

She hid the knife behind her back and slowly advanced towards the child.

_**Cliff hanger! Hanging from a cliff! And that's why he's called cliff hanger! (has anyone ever seen Between the Lions! Best show ever!)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry, this chapter will be a little short, as usual. I like short chapters for some reason…**_

_**I'll continue the story, because I know how much you all just ADORE Morrible. I mean, she's just so nice, right? Who doesn't love her? **_

Morrible came to a stop before the child, finally drawing out the knife.

Eldora gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I know you are," Morrible smiled sweetly.

"Please, Madame Morrible, I'll do anything, please don't hurt me! Please don't make me like them!"

Eldora stood and ran to the other side of the room.

"Eldora…" Morrible said sternly, advancing towards her.

Eldora tripped back and fell to the ground, and Morrible stopped beside her, circling the knife over her chest.

"Morrible, please!" the child begged.

"You're going to work for me, night and day." Morrible taunted, starting to insert the knife, very slowly into Eldora's flesh.

She let out an aguished cry, a long scream. She was crying, she was banging the ground with her fist.

"It's only to the heart, dear," Morrible said kindly.

The awful scream continued, until…

It all seemed to come so fast…

The woman came darting into the room, yanking the knife out of the child's chest, and throwing it at a running Morrible.

The cloaked figure flew over and slammed her into the ground, screaming words at her.

Eldora couldn't hear anything, her vision was blurred. Her chest throbbed with pain.

She gave a small, anguished moan and everything went black.

She woke again to kind hands waving a wand over her chest, the wound closing.

Eldora tried to make herself believe it, dared to make herself believe it…

"Mommy?"

she asked weakly.

"She's not far," came a different voice, not her mother's voice, and her heart fell.

"Glinda?"

"Get up, Eldora."

Eldora sat up in the bed she awoke in, seeing hundreds, thousands, of winged monkeys in the room. One, larger and more muscular than the others, stepped forward.

"I am Chistery," he said. "your mother saw a vision of you being attacked, and we were sent to get you."

"Where's Morrible?" Eldora asked.

The monkey raised his eyebrows. "you are not surprised by our presence?"

"I'm beginning to think nothing will surprise me." Eldora grinned.

"Morrible is away from you, that is what matters."

Eldora nodded. "Well, she wanted a war."

"And a war she shall get," Chistery said.

"Will you be fighting?" Eldora asked.

"Right behind you." Another monkey said.

"Behind me!?" Eldora said, confused.

"Aye, my child," a girl monkey said. "you will be leading it."


	8. Chapter 8

Ever since Liir had left, life hadn't been the same. Six years ago, he had been sent to find his sister, if she really was dead. He never came back. How stupid they'd been, waiting for him to return when he was just eleven! He felt like a horrible human being, the man thought as he went through the woods.

There were many problems on thinking this, but the worst was because the man was his father. A father missing his wife, missing his son, missing his daughter.

How old would they be, now? It was now seven years, so…

His son, seventeen, his daughter thirteen.

Both still young.

Fiyero walked on, not daring to hold his feelings in. it had been too long, far too long. For what? Everything.

To hold his feelings in, to pretend everything was ok, to miss his family.

Too long. Far, far too long.

He ventured north, following his compass because he felt too ashamed to follow himself anymore.

He felt broken. He knew he shouldn't be in Oz again, but he felt too weary and broken to care.

He approached the lake and lay down to rest. If whoever wanted him dead and came to attack him right now, he wouldn't care.

He slept then; dreaming of when life was simple and his family was with him.

"Aren't you cold?"

Fiyero's eyes snapped open to see a cloaked figure.

"Hello, Glinda," he said after a moment, yawning.

Glinda came and sat down across from him.

"Do you miss her? Or have you forgotten?"

"Who? Elphaba? Don't be ridiculous. She's…my everything."

"But she mislead you, and your family?" Glinda said.

Fiyero could hear her voice getting choked.

"Glinda, if I didn't want to marry her, I wouldn't have. If I didn't want to run away with her, I wouldn't have. If I didn't want kids, I wouldn't have given her the chance. If I hated her…"

He paused. "I would be a fool. I miss her, and my children. Nothing is going to separate me from her. Never then, not now, never will."

He looked angrily at Glinda. "Don't doubt it."

"I never did." And the figure pulled down its hood to reveal his wife's head.

"Hey," she smiled.

Fiyero was stunned. He couldn't believe it. She wasn't here. She simply couldn't be.

Not here, and certainly not now, in the chaos of everything.

"El…"

"I love you too!" she threw herself at him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

She cried then, hard but proudly, into his shoulder.

And Fiyero cried also, covering her in kisses.

"I. Can't…believe…"

She hugged him tighter, he kissed her harder.

"I thought…you were…"

He pulled away from her, only for a second, just to study her face.

Everything about her returned to him.

Her eyes. Her brown, hypnotic eyes, those were both fierce and adorable.

Her nose. Her perfect nose, the kind all Ozian women wanted so desperately.

Her hair. Her wonderful, black hair. Smooth as silk, wavy as the ocean, framing her perfectly shaped face.

Her shape. Her curves, her arms, her hands that were dizzyingly soft, her breasts, her neck…

Her skin. Her green, beautiful, silky, enchanting, mysterious skin, so rare in its design but so beautiful…

"Elphaba…." He said quietly.

"Fiyero." She smiled.

His heart fluttered as he saw his name on her lips, and he kissed them. They were still warm…and soft…and delicious…and perfect…

"Fiyero," she breathed against his lips, pulling back, but he brought her so she stood flushed against him.

"Let's go find our children."

"Our what?"

She hit his arm, giving him another kiss, "That's not funny."

"Sweetheart, Eldora—"

"Okay, first of all, hotshot," Elphaba pulled away now, swatting away his arms as they reached for her. "Eldora's not dead. I saw a vision of her with Morrible."

"Well, how am I to know?" Fiyero said incrediously. "I'm not perfect like you. I can't see visions…"

"Second of all," Elphaba put in. Fiyero could tell she was trying to act a bit lethal, but he saw the blush rising up in her cheeks.

"Second of all is that our children are our everything. Remember?"

"I said you, not them."

"Do you want to ride the broom, or walk?" Elphaba snapped.

Fiyero gave her a cocky smile. "You wouldn't."

"I would!" Elphaba retorted.

"No," Fiyero said, pulling her againist him. "you would be up there, all alone in the sky, without your darling Fiyero, and come back down, begging him to come back."

"Haha." Elphaba said dryly. "come on, let's go."

Fiyero smiled down at her,

"What?" she snapped, truly angry now.

"I still have a crush on you."

_**My fellow Ozians, you have no idea how happy I am to be returning you to Elphie at last. By a show of smiles, who missed her?**_

_**Hope to update soon!**_

_**elphie**_


	9. Chapter 9

Liir sat on the edge of the largest lake in Oz, listening as an old lady chuckled to herself.

She'd been doing that for a while now, and his suspicious had proved true.

Yackle, an elderly lady now, with crinkly pale skin, had been gleefully pouring substances together in a bubbling pot.

"Are you done yet?" Liir asked.

"Almost, almost," Yackle grinned. "Then I'll tell you where your family is."

Liir heard an upset sound from his tummy.

"Hungry?" Yackle thrust a plate of Fish eggs into his chest, unaware how hard it had been.

"Alrighty, the last ingredient I need is the heart of an animal."

Liir groaned. This was a messy feat.

Ah, well. At least he wouldn't be hungry anymore. He grabbed his dagger for the upteenth time, venturing into the woods.

Then he saw it. Its back was turned to him.

Suddenly Liir was angry. As the flying monkey hunched over and ate. Liir wanted to forget everything that happened in his childhood, how he felt his parents had never cared. He needed to forget things, right now.

He lifted the dagger and came towards it, slowly and advancing.

Then…

His foot was caught inside the tiny loop, it brought him up and he hung upside down from a tree.

"You're joking," he muttered.

"Quite the opposite." He looked down and he was face to face with someone green.

"Aggh!" he yelped.

Eldora cut the rope and Liir crashed to the ground, with another cry.

"You alright?" she asked with mock concern. "Yes? Good. Now you can tell me why you tried to—"

"Ellie?"

Eldora stopped and stared at him in surprise.

"Morning Dawn?" Chistery said. "who is this?"

Morning Dawn? The monkeys had renamed his sister?

His sister. She was alive.

"My brother," Eldora said simply. "it's a family reunion."

Liir smiled. "And who are your friends, _Morning Dawn_?"

Eldora's cheeks went red.

"Merry Lurinemas." Liir joked. Red and green.

"Shut up." His sister warned him.

Liir forgot all about Yackle and followed his sister and her troops (after hugging her for about an hour) and soon found himself in a tiny hut.

Glinda, his mother's friend, sat in an easy chair, stirring awake.

"Liir?" she gasped. "is that you?"

"I guess we're all here, then." Eldora said as Liir nodded at Glinda.

"Wait, for what?" Liir asked.

"The war."

"The war?"

"Liir, listen," Glinda said as Chistery began to talk.

"The full story: Your mother and father were deeply in love, Liir," the monkey began. "They ran away and didn't come back for years. Glinda missed her with all of her heart. When Elphaba came back, she had told Fiyero she was just coming to visit Oz, but she was trying to find Glinda."

"Why would mom keep that from him?"

"They were dark times dear, he didn't want anybody to know." Said a girl monkey named Chissra.

"All families have their secrets," Glinda said.

"Anyway," Chistery continued. "She did find Glinda, and brought her back to her castle, where Glinda met you and Morning Dawn."

"Do you remember, Liir?" Glindaa smiled.

"I remember being annoyed for some reason, I don't remember why."

"Then your family went up to hike on their favorite mountain. Morning Dawn fell off the cliff…"

"…But she wasn't dead, like we thought her to be," Glinda put in, "she was kidnapped by Morrible."

"Who held me there for seven years," said Eldora.

"Mom and dad sent me to find you," Liir said, "I couldn't find you and I was adopted by Yackle. She took me back to our home, and…"

he paused, sucking in a small breath, close to tears.

"Morrible…" he said quietly. "it was burnt. Down to the last piece of wood. All of it. Gone. All of the Animals where missing…"

"Morrible wanted to mutate them," Eldora said.

Liir looked surprised. "How does she mutate them?"

"She takes a knife and dips the tip of the blade in a special potion, then she sticks it in their hearts."

"Ah!" Glinda let out a small scream.

"The ending is," Chistery said. "Morrible's mutating Animals so she can get to your mother. Your mother loved Animals. And she knows that Elphaba was too smart to be dead. She wants a war to end her and anybody else who gets in her way. Then once she rules Oz…"

Chistery shook his head.

"So that's why." Liir sighed. "gosh, my mom is in some serious danger."

"That's why it's best to be here," Eldora said. "We're going to learn to fight."

Training started soon after that night, and Yackle showed up to help.

As Eldora jumped from tree to tree, tumbling and learning defensive skills from the monkeys, Liir stayed with Glinda to teach her how to use a knife.

"Hey, how did you get your wand back?" Liir asked.

"For some reason, it didn't burn in the fire," Glinda smiled. "I guess it knew something was important. I got it back after I got out of the hospital."

Liir was given a new sword that his father once used, and Eldora was given a reasonably sized Axe.

"What!?" Glinda gasped.

"Only for the war," Chistery said sternly.

That night, after dinner, Chistery announced that they weren't going to bed.

"Why?" Eldora asked.

"We need to look for the most valuable warriors of all," said Chistery. "your parents."


	10. Chapter 10

There was no possible way. Absolutely none.

Liir shook his head.

"They abandoned us a long time ago," his voice came out sharper than need be. "I don't want to leave. I feel safe here."

"So you're saying you don't want to fight?" Eldora said, dropping her spoon into her bowl. The clatter alarmed a few.

"I'm saying I don't want to get hurt and waste the time looking for our parents that's wasted anyways," Liir said sternly. "And you're not fighting either."

"Liir!" Glinda gasped.

"I mean it!" he snapped. At Glinda's look, he added, "sorry."

"If you do not choose to fight," Chistery said, "then Morrible will take over and you'll be slaughtered before you can say, 'make it clean.'"

"They need you, Big One," Yackle said sleepily, and she dozed off in her chair.

Liir put his head in his hands. "I'm stuck fighting, aren't I?"

"If you want to put it that way," Eldora smiled grimly.

"You could also say…you're being commanded to do a rash but brave thing," Chistery said, his smile widening.

"You could say you're being pushed to do an unpleasant feat for the sake of others." Glinda said, fighting to keep a straight face without laughing.

"You could say—you're being provoked to a certain turmoil for the lives of other creatures such as yourself," Eldora said, half-hiding a giggle.

"You could also say—"

"All right, I get it!" Liir said, and he couldn't fight a laugh.

Glinda let out a laugh, similar to a duck's. After that, everyone had to imitate an animal's sound. It was pure nuisance, but it was funny, and it made them laugh. They hadn't laughed in ages.

"Oink!" Eldora laughed.

"Bawk!" Glinda jumped in her chair.

"Good one, Glin!" Liir smiled.

"No, not 'Bawk'!" Glinda yelped. "Boq!"

But they sounded the same to the others. Chistery pulled Glinda's brandy away from her.

"You all right?" he asked.

Glinda got up and ran out into the cooling air, closing the door behind her for privacy.

"Boq?"

"You got my name right," He smiled through his tin lips.

"Oh, Boq," Glinda embraced him. "I always knew your name. it was a form of endearment." This wasn't true, but Glinda had gotten an idea.

"Why are you here?" she asked kindly.

"I lost my axe," he frowned. "have you seen it?"

"No, sorry." She battered her eyelashes. "do you want me to help you look?"

Boq smiled at his fortune. "Sure."

They looked through bushes and over rivers, until Boq yelled and tackled Glinda to the ground.

"STAY DOWN!" he commanded, thrashing throuhg the leaves.

"Boq, where you going?" Glinda was surprised.

He came back to her, shaking like a leaf.

"She's back!" he panted. "I just cut her with my knife."

"Who?" Glinda tiped a fearful tear from under his eye.

"Elphaba!" he shivered. "well, who do you think!"

Glinda brushed past him and he followed her like a lost puppy.

She heard whimpering ahead, and found Eldora crying, nursing a knee, which was spilling blood and pus.

She looked up, tears fallling.

"I came to find you," she whispered.

"That's her! Get back! Elphaba, tell me to bug off one more time—"

"Boq!" Glinda said in a sharp tone that made him wince. "take a good look at her. A _very good_ look."

Boq studied the young girl and realised.

"That's not Elphaba."

"No," Glinda said angrily. "it isn't. This poor girl has gone through too much pain in her life."

"I told you," Boq whispered.

"What?" Glinda said.

"I said, I told you," Boq repeated. "Fiyero. He never loved you like I did."

"Seriously?" Glinda pushed him up against a tree. "I _know _that, I _have _known that, and here's what you're going to do." She grabbed one of his hands. You're going to come join us."

"I…what?"

she pressed his cheeks and moved close. "You—are—going—to—join—us."

"Oh—kay?" he said, confused.

Glinda brought him inside the hut, and Eldora stayed outside, looking for anything she could use as a new weapon, as she new Boq would find his axe sooner or later.

"Darling!"

Eldora's heart skipped a beat as she heard a familiar voice.

"I missed you." The woman wrapped her arms around Eldora. "didn't you miss me?"

Eldora backed away. "No!"

There are many reasons people are unhappy. You could get a bad grade, you hurt your toe, you friend won't accept makeovers even though pink goes well with green. This character had a good reason.

You may have a good reason to be unhappy too.

Because the woman wasn't her mother.

It was Morrible.

_**Sorry this was short. Long chapter coming soon. **_

_**elphie**_


	11. Chapter 11

Morrible smiled her evil smile down at the child, Eldora's heart race quickening with every step Morrible took toward her.

Then again, she didn't look like Morrible.

Her white, usually elegant hair, was now down and ratty, and her formally white teeth her now yellow and reeked a horrible odor.

Eldora backed up until she felt the giant rock behind her. Morrible grabbed her hair so her head tipped back. Then, she moved so close her lips brushed the young girl's ear, she whispered softly.

"I missed you," she repeated, "you surely must have missed me. I know your mother is very afraid now, isn't she?"

Eldora's breaths were shallow. Her whole body shook and the scar on her chest burned in the memory of what this evil woman had done.

"You seem…" Morrible thought for a moment, "smaller. So weak in every way." She gave small laugh. "You want to fight? I'll let you come. And I'll pull every last drop of blood from your filthy green body."

She pulled a knife out of her satchel and slowly, but lightly, brushed the blade over Eldora's scar. "See you then," she smiled, and stepped back, throwing a red dust on the ground that grew into smoke and consumed her.

Eldora's tears were then free to fall.

"Oh, mother!" she cried. "Where are you?"

/

Elphaba lay awake, watching the fireflies dancing for her. Fiyero lay beside her, rolling over and draping an arm over her stomach in his sleep. She reached over and stroked her fingers through his hair, and he smiled a bit. Oh, Elphaba loved him.

She suddenly grew dizzy, and the vision came…

_Eldora was crying, Morrible was leaving. A scar on Ellie's chest dripped a little blood…_

It was a quick one this time, but it was enough. "Fiyero!" she exclaimed. "We need to find them now!"

She got up and ran. Fiyero sleepily awoke.

"What did you s—" he saw her leaving. "Wait!"

He tried to wake up as much as he could, but everything was still blurry, and his head started to hurt.

"Wait," he collapsed to the ground. Elphaba turned back to see him staggering.

She ran back and helped him up. "Wake up," she said softly.

"Elphie?" he groaned. "Go back to sleep, I'm tired."

"No, no I had a vision, Eldora…and Liir…please, Yero, wake up."

At the names of his children, Fiyero woke up immediately.

"What did you see?"

"Morrible's back, please, come!" Fiyero followed her through the woods as quick as they could.

Elphaba felt in her heart they weren't far. Her heart lifted when she saw the same rock Eldora had been leaning up against.

"Ellie!" Elphaba called. "Ellie! Liir!"

She came upon a hut with lights on inside.

She opened the door and saw long mane of Black hair tumbling into her. She fell back and landed on Fiyero.

"Mommy?"

"Ellie," Elphaba gasped at the young pretty green face, so much like her own, looking at her, surprised.

"My darling…" she sat up, and Fiyero could see too.

"Eldora?"

"Mommy!"

And the girl hugged them both. Liir came out and saw his parents, tackling them.

Glinda came out and joined the group hug.

When they all broke apart, they stood there, smiling at each other.

"Oz, I thought you were dead," Elphaba leaned forward again, sobbing into Liir's shoulder. "I missed both of you so much."

Fiyero placed a hand on her shoulder.

When they all lay down for the night, Eldora and Liir snuggled in with their parents.

And that night, there was hope. Hope even to vanquish the thought of the war for now.

Hope to conquer anything; even all of Oz. Hope to not be afraid.

/

When they woke, Fiyero and Elphaba saw that their children had gone to breakfast.

"We found them," Fiyero gathered her in his arms. "We're safe now."

"But Morrible…"

"Shhh." Fiyero hushed her, his lips touching hers, "we're safe."

"Just for this moment, though." Elphaba said sadly.

"No, my love. We're safe," Fiyero said gently. "As long as you're mine."

"Oh Fiyero!" she sighed happily, and she kissed him passionately.

"Having fuuun?" three voices sang.

Elphaba and Fiyero broke apart to see three pairs of eyes vanish behind the door. Giggling was heard in the hallway.

Elphaba and Fiyero looked at each other, smiling. All right, then. They'd play.

They went out into the hall, seeing Eldora, Liir, and Glinda bursting out laughing, rolling around on the floor.

"Very mature, guys," Elphaba said crossly.

But Fiyero had another plan.

"I will destroy you," he said in a deep, drawling voice. He picked up his daughter by her legs, shaking her up and down and she giggled.

"Daddy stop!"

"Where's you money?" he laughed.

Liir ran over and picked up his mother.

"Liir, what are you—?"

"Silence woman!"

Elphaba laughed uncontrollably as Liir put her down. Fiyero set Eldora down, walking over to his wife.

"That's the first time I've seen you smile in a while," he said, and he captured her lips with his.

"Eugh, Dad!" Ellie covered her eyes.

"Yeah, that's disgusting." Liir walked away.

"Alright, sorry. I won't." Fiyero broke away.

Elphaba smiled and went to her room to get dressed.

"Elphaba." She heard her name, then an evil, high pitched laugh. "I'll be waiting."

Elphaba turned. But no one was there, and the voice had left.

Chills were still down her back.

She looked at the wooden door, and went outside to see a glimpse of ratty, horrible hair dissapearing behind a rock.


	12. Chapter 12

_**I've changed my username…**_

_**And…oh yeah! This chapter is going to be short, sorry…but I try to post as soon as possible, and well, you know…school. **_

_**I still can't believe I have trouble with distributive property…**_

Elphaba sat silently at dinner that night. She watched as Ellie and Glinda chatted about hair and fashion, and Fiyero and Liir arguing about who was more attractive (Liir had begun to call Fiyero "old-looking." "At least I have a wife!" Fiyero snapped.). Chistery and his wife, Chissra, had begun to flirt with each other and Yackle seemed to be having a conversation with herself.

Elphaba cleared her throat. No one looked up. She cleared her throat louder. Still no one looked. She banged her broom on the table. Ah, much better,

"What!" came angry voices.

"I wanted to know about something." Elphaba replied, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Which would be…?" Liir prompted.

"I've heard discussion here about a war. I just want to know what's going on. Who are we fighting up against, and why?"

Eldora looked down at her plate. Liir and Fiyero exchanged worrying looks.

Chistery pretended to look confused.

Finally Eldora spoke.

"Mom?" she said timidly. She took a deep breath and let it all out. "Mom, Morrible, your old principal, seeks revenge on you. She's mutating Animals—capital A—and making all of them fighting in a war. It will be soon. So for the last couple weeks, we've been hiding away from her. Training. See if we can overcome this. I—we—we all didn't really plan on telling you, but…" she looked down. "But that's it."

Elphaba wanted to laugh at the joke. To scream at the truth. To wake up from sleep.

This wasn't…it couldn't be…it _mustn't_ be…

"I…"

It was the only word she could get out. What…what was she to say! What was she to think! Morrible was…bad, she knew it. But to mutate…to even think about it made Elphaba's insides churn.

"Elphie?"

She shut her eyes against that name, spoken so worriedly from Glinda…all those days before…when she had nothing to worry about…

Then it suddenley dawned on her that she helped no one.

Her husband had been left behind at home in an hour and searched for his family for seven years.

Liir had been abandoned.

Her daughter kidnapped, and stabbed.

Glinda worried and afraid.

Now Animals…poor innocent Animals…

She'd always been hurting someone. Forever, _always_, in _every_ conflict, just…in someway or another, _hurting_ someone.

Fiyero. Glinda. Eldora. Liir. Animals. Students at her old school. Her sister. Her father. Dr. Dillamond.

The words rose in her brain, one after another, until they flooded her, leaving her anguished and horrified, making her feel more wicked than before…they chased each other, flooding her eyes now, until tears rose and fell over two pale cheeks.

But she'd have to respond. Sometime, she'd have to. They were watching her anxiously.

So she looked up at their now blurry faces.

Fiyero got up to hug her. Wrapping strong, warm arms around her, hoping to soothe her, he kissed her black locks.

She was about to say something about fighting, about being wrong, about justice for the Animals, _her_ Animals, in which Morrible may have kidnapped to mutate for violence…that only woman who was more wicked than her…

But instead, she let another sentence slip her lips, another sentence, another two words, actually, that's she'd been dying to say for a while…

"I'm—I'm s-sorry…" she covered her face in shame, out of embarrassment.

Then it happened.

The door swung open, she filled the doorway, holding a black bag.

Eldora remembered it was the very one that she'd been in…when she was kidnapped.

She shook her head, her mind buzzing with fear…

"Sorry to interrupt such an endearing moment…"

And they all realized this woman had been making several visits lately, hints that the war would start soon.

And Glinda would have snarled, she would have clawed, she would act as unhappy as need be…if…

All the other residents of the hut stayed put as they discovered the shock too…

…And the black bag came down, and Morrible grabbed her prisoner by the hair, and held a knife inches from her throat.

And Glinda knew she must save her.

She had to save her mother.


	13. Chapter 13

Larena never looked more afraid. As Morrible smiled with glee at the group's faces, she could have sworn she'd killed them all off out of shock.

Then it happened.

He came fast, somehow, from the back of Morrible and jumping on her, roaring and scaring _her_ half to death.

Brrr brought out his fully grown claws and tore at her skin, blood shed on the floor as she screamed.

She snapped her fingers, causing a strike of lighting to hit him, and dissapearing with her assistants.

The lion turned onto the group, roaring and charging at Liir, who stabbed him with his sword.

The lion groaned and fell to the ground.

"He became wild," Elphaba concluded.

"He would've been useful for the war," Larena said from the doorway, wiping her nose on her ripped sleeve. "She used to torment him, I've seen it. He's very strong."

"He's scary," Glinda said shakily, walking over to help her mother up.

"All of this is."

/

They explained to story to Glinda's mother, after she had calmed down. She seemd to believe them, hanging on every word they said.

"So…" she began hesistantly. "…so if I help you with this—war thing—then we'll be safe?"

Fiyero moved to look out the window.

"Safer," Liir said. "But none that matters. At least for us, I mean. It's really just about Oz. All of Oz wouldn't be safe."

Larena nodded. "Okay, I'm in. what do you need me to do?"

"Well, that depends." Glinda said. "We don't really have a plan yet."

"We'd better get one quick," Fiyero said urgently. "Morrible's army is here."

"What!?" Elphaba exclaimed.

"It's as clear as day," Fiyero smiled grimly. "The war is started. It _has_ started."

"Now?" Glinda said, worriedly.

Fiyero nodded. "Now."


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the group came out to investigate.

Sure as day, Morrible's army descended down the hills, paired in many numbers, and singing some kind of chant.

But Elphaba decided the war wasn't worth it.

"Don't follow me," she ordered, and took a knife off the wooden table and ran outside.

She saw Morrible running into the woods. Huh. So she hadn't left.

She chased after her, tripping often and wishing she had brought her broom. But it was too late to turn back now.

Morrible lead her all the way into the city, darting into a vacant house.

Elphaba chased her up the stairs, hearing her wicked, horrible high-pitched laugh.

Elphaba found the door Morrible had found her way into to be locked. She stepped back, against the stair railing, and moved forward to kick it open.

Morrible was ready for her, pulling a new, clean curved knife out of her purse.

Following Elphaba's shocked gaze, she whispered, "Just for you, my dear."

The war started then. The real war.

Elphaba charged toward her, meeting a cutting pain in her left arm…she ducked as Morrible ran her over, then pinning Elphaba down and cutting her lip. Elphaba gathered a mouth full of blood and saliva and spit on Morrible's face. She backed up, kicking her enemy in the mouth.

She brought out her knife and they continued, dodging and stabbing and laughing evilly mixed in.

Finally, Elphaba was drenched in blood from all over, and weakly fell to the floor.

A drop of blood from Morrible's forehead dripped down and met Elphaba's face.

Morrible leaned over her, smiling.

"You know, I'm very disappointed in you. You were such a good student."

And she raised the knife to cut into Elphaba's green flesh…

But the brave woman stopped her, taking her own knife and inserting it to meet Morrible's heart.

With an anguished scream, the lady fell hard against the floor, smiling weakly as Elphaba bent over her.

"I always wanted…to be a mother…"

"You would make a horrible one." Elphaba said simply. And Morrible let out her last breath, her eyes glazing over.

She was dead.

/

When Elphaba returned, she saw that the poison couldn't function without Morrible being alive, and the Animals were free.

"Sorry I stabbed you," Glinda said sincerely to a zebra on the ground.

They helped the hurting Animals, and rejoiced in the fact that Morrible was gone.

/

The city of Oz welcomed Elphaba back, and as the Tiggular family and their helpers went to Fiyero's other castle, they felt very happy indeed.

"You're amazing." Fiyero whispered fondly to his wife.

"Well…" Elphaba smiled. "…Yeah, I guess…"

/

They sat in their new thrones as Yackle proclaimed:

"Welcome, Oz! This is an exciting day! Let us welcome, Princess Eldora Elphaba Melena Tiggular."

It was a sensational moment as the youngest member let the throne come on her head.

"To Prince Liir Thropp Tiggular!"

Liir let Yackle place the crown on his head, letting out a glad smile no one would take away.

"To King Fiyero Leon Tiggular!" Yackle pressed a silver crown on Fiyero's head and all of Oz bowed.

"To our Most Honored Subjects, Miss Galinda Arduenna Upland!"

Galinda squealed as a crown was placed on her head too.

"And it's pink!" she smiled.

"To Miss Larena Upland."

Glinda's mother waved away her crown, meeting Glinda in a big hug. "I love you." She whispered.

"And…to myself," Yackle laughed.

"And for the highest one of all, our Queen of Vinkus, Queen Elphaba Melena Thropp Tiggular!"

And the crowds cheered as the crown came onto her head.

Her eyes filled with tears. They were bowing. They were really bowing.

And she and her friends knew at that moment, they wouldn't fear for a long time. Because, well…they had each other.

And they simply couldn't be happier.

_**Thanks so much for reading! Until we meet again.**_

_**TSO**_


End file.
